Go Back
–+ servings
Traeger smoked turkey
Print Recipe
4.99 from 76 votes

Traeger Smoked Turkey Without Brine

Delicious and tender Traeger Smoked Turkey with crispy skin and no brine!
Prep Time30 minutes
Cook Time6 hours
Resting Time15 minutes
Total Time6 hours 45 minutes
Course: Main Course, Main Dish
Cuisine: American
Servings: 8 servings
Calories: 912kcal
Author: Hilda Sterner

Ingredients

  • 10-12 pound fresh turkey

Turkey Injection Marinade

  • ½ cup unsalted melted butter (divided)
  • ½ cup avocado oil (divided)
  • 1½ tablespoon orange juice
  • 2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 tablespoon garlic powder
  • ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper

Turkey Rub

  • 1 tablespoon rubbed sage
  • 1 tablespoon Traeger Blackened Saskatchewan Rub
  • 1 tablespoon paprika
  • 1 tablespoon sea salt
  • 2 teaspoon Tajin Seasoning
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
  • ½ teaspoon lemon pepper

Aromatics

  • 3 sprigs sage
  • 3 sprigs thyme
  • 3 sprigs rosemary
  • 1 medium orange (sliced)
  • 1 medium onion (chopped)
  • 1 bulb garlic (sliced in ½)

Instructions

Defrost Turkey

  • You'll want to start with a completely defrosted turkey. To learn how to safely defrost a frozen turkey, head over to this USDA article with detailed information on how to defrost a turkey. Spoiler alert, don't use the dishwasher! I didn't know people actually did that.😳

Prep Turkey

  • Begin by removing the turkey gizzards and heart from the neck cavity. Next, pull the neck and gravy bag (if included) from the body cavity. Rinse turkey in cold water and pat dry with paper towels. Truss the legs with twine, if the legs are not secured by the extra flap of skin.

Prepare Marinade & Inject Turkey

  • Reserve 2 tablespoons of butter and 2 tablespoons of oil for the wet rub. Add the rest of the butter to a small bowl, cover it with a paper towel, and microwave for 30 seconds. Pour oil, and the remaining marinade injection ingredients into the bowl and whisk until combined. Using a Marinade Injecting Syringe, inject the marinade into the turkey breast and thighs.

Prepare Wet Rub & Season Turkey

  • In another bowl, melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter then add the reserved 2 tablespoons of oil. Stir the turkey-rub spices into the marinade to make a paste. Work the paste into the turkey skin and cavity. Tuck the wing tips under the turkey then loosely stuff the cavity with the aromatics.

Smoke Turkey (Preheat your Traeger Grill to 225°F)

  • To allow the smoke to circulate around the turkey, place a small rack into a disposable aluminum pan. Carefully transfer the prepped turkey into the roasting pan. Place the roasting pan onto the grill grate and stick the temperature probe into the thickest part of the turkey breast. Set the probe temperature to 150°F and use Super Smoke, if you have that option.

Adjust the Temperature

  • When two hours have elapsed, turn the grill temperature up to 250°F. Continue smoking the turkey until the breast temp comes to 150°F (my 10 lb turkey took 4 hours). Turn the smoker's temperature up to 350°F and the probe temperature to 165°F.

Baste Turkey

  • When enough turkey drippings have accumulated in the bottom of the pan, use them to baste the turkey. Continue to smoke the turkey until the breast temperature reaches 165°F and an instant-read thermometer inserted in the innermost part of the thigh reaches 180°F.

Rest Smoked Turkey

  • Remove the turkey from the smoker and begin the shutdown process. Tent the turkey with foil and let it rest for 15 to 30 minutes before carving it.

Video

Notes

  • Don't toss the giblets, use them to make giblet gravy.
  • When injecting the turkey, stick the injector into the breast then move it around to distribute the melted butter throughout the muscle fibers (see recipe video). If there's any injection marinade left, stir it into the wet rub.
  • If the wet rub is clumpy, use a silicone brush to gently distribute it all over the turkey.
  • When smoking a turkey, always rely on the probe temperature to know when the turkey is ready rather than a specific amount of time.
  • If there aren't enough turkey drippings to use a turkey baster, brush the juices on instead.
  • The resting period will allow the juices to redistribute through the muscle fibers. This will keep the juices from seeping out when you slice into the turkey.
  • It's better to smoke 2 smaller turkeys instead of one large one. A larger turkey takes longer to cook and as a result can get too dry from the lengthy cooking time.
  • It's not generally recommended to stuff a Traeger smoked turkey with traditional stuffing. Stuffing the turkey will add to the smoking time and the stuffing might not heat up enough to kill any bacteria that may be present.
  • You may be tempted to skip the resting period, but don't! If you slice the turkey as soon as it comes off of the grill, the juices will run out of the turkey, resulting in a dry turkey.
  • To keep the Traeger smoked turkey's skin from getting soft or rubbery, lightly tent the turkey as it rests. You do not want to create steam under the foil.
  • The internal temperature can continue to rise after you remove the turkey from the grill so keep an eye on it.
  • If you need the turkey to cook faster, you can smoke the turkey at a higher temperature, 325°F — 350°F, which will drastically reduce the cooking time.
  • Whatever you do, don't toss out the turkey bones and carcass. Make a delicious smokey broth with it instead. You can then use the broth to make my delicious creamy turkey soup.
  • Store leftovers in an air-tight container in the fridge for up to one week or freeze for up to 4 months.
  • Use your Thanksgiving leftovers to make mini turkey pot pies.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 912kcal | Carbohydrates: 8g | Protein: 110g | Fat: 57g | Saturated Fat: 16g | Cholesterol: 420mg | Sodium: 1572mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g